tonight, the major escalation in the middle east. iran launching a barrage of ballistic missiles at israel and a suspected terror attack in an israeli city. the night sky lighting up as israel says iran fired nearly 200 missiles at its territory. u.s. warships helping

to thwart the attack, launching interceptors, while in the israeli city of jaffa, the deadly attack that began on a train. police calling it terrorism. all this after israel began ground operations in lebanon, targeting iran-backed hezbollah. our teams inside israel and lebanon. also tonight, growing desperation in the southeast. crews searching for survivors days after helene struck as death soared to more than 150. the urgent race to get relief into the hardest hit areas. the major strike at ports along the east and gulf coast. tens of thousands of dockworkers walking off the job. how it could impact the price you pay and the supply chain ahead of the holiday shopping season. the vice presidential candidates tim walz and j.d. vance facing off tonight. will it be the final debate of the 2024 campaign? the beloved actor famous for his roles in "good times" and "roots." remembering john amos.

and heroes and hope after helene. the brave professionals and everyday people saving lives in the storm zone. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. >> good evening and welcome. it was iran who struck tonight in the ever spiraling cycle of violence in the middle east. the u.s. says around 200 iranian ballistic missiles launched from iran rained down across israel this evening, sending people running for cover. just moments after air raid sirens sounded, the sky filled with streaks of light. incoming missiles, many appearing to explode in the air, intercepted by israeli and american defenses. iran launching waves of missiles towards israel in retaliation for its recent killing of a leader of hezbollah, an iranian-backed militia group. remarkably, israel says there were no deaths and few injuries as a result of the missile strikes this evening. the attacks not a surprise after u.s. intelligence several

hours earlier warned a missile attack by iran was imminent. this evening israeli leader benjamin netanyahu making clear there will be a response. our team witnessed it all from the ground. raf sanchez leads us off with the latest now from northern israel. >> reporter: it began just after 7:30 local time. >> i can tell you at this moment, the skies above us are lighting up. what looked to us from the ground like deadly shooting stars. iranian ballistic missiles slamming down one after another near an israeli air base, also seen over jerusalem's western wall and across the country. israel says its air defenses taking out most of the incoming missiles. >> we are seeing some of the missiles. they are either falling apart, a sign that they have been intercepted, or they are making their way down towards the ground here in northern israel. the idf says around 180 iranian missiles

fired in total in two waves, minutes apart. we are once again seeing the skies lighting up now. >> reporter: traveling the nearly thousand miles from iran to israel in just 11 minutes. later, like millions of others, we took cover when we heard the warning sirens. that's the sirens. we're going head to safety. president biden had ordered the u.s. military to assist in defending israel. tonight the pentagon saying u.s. navy destroyers fired a dozen interceptors at the incoming missiles. >> obviously, this is a significant escalation by iran. a significant event. >> reporter: the u.s. condemning the iranian action, saying dozens more ballistic missiles were fired than in iran's previous attack on israel back in april. >> this is totally unacceptable, and the entire world should condemn it. >> reporter: the idf tonight saying there are no known fatalities or known injuries in israel. iran says the attack was a response to israel's assassination last week of hezbollah

chief hassan nasrallah following nearly a year of hezbollah rocket attacks on northern israel. all of it with nerves already frayed here by an earlier mass shooting in tel aviv. at least six civilians killed when two terrorists opened fire on the light rail, police say. while in a late night speech addressing the missile attack, prime minister netanyahu saying iran made a big mistake tonight and it will pay for it. >> raf, what are you learned about damage caused by those iranian missiles? >> lester, israel says there were a small number of impacts in the south and the center of the country. we know one missile came down near a school, and several more were aimed at an air base that was damaged in the last iranian attack back in april. lester? >> all right, raf sanchez, thanks. and chief foreign correspondent richard engel is in southern lebanon right across the border from israel. richard, you've covered this conflict for a very long time. does it feel certain that israel will retaliate here?

>> oh, israel will absolutely retaliate. and prime minister netanyahu is already giving some hint at what israel intends to do. tonight he listed off the names of several militant leaders who have attacked israel in the past. nearly all of them subsequently assassinated by israel. so israel could carry out targeted attacks against iranian officials believed to be associated with this missile barrage. there could be attacks on nuclear sites, military facilities. how far israel goes will determine the course of this war in the middle east. lester? >> all right, richard engel, thanks. as you heard, the u.s. actively participated in defending against the iranian strike as the president and vice president kept a close watch on the situation. here is peter alexander. >> reporter: president biden tonight declaring iran's major assault on israel a failure. >> the attack appears to have been defeated and ineffective. >> reporter: the president crediting

the u.s.'s extensive planning in anticipating today's attack and working alongside its close ally israel. >> make no mistake. the united states is fully, fully, fully supportive of israel. >> reporter: earlier president biden along with vice president harris monitoring the attack alongside their national security team from the situation room. the white house says iran did not give any advance notice of today's missile barrage. it comes as the biden administration's months' long effort to prevent a larger war in the middle east is now facing its toughest test yet. the president tonight saying it remains to be seen what the consequences for iran will be. the vice president also condemning the iranian attack. >> iran is a destabilizing, dangerous force in the middle east. and today's attack on israel only further demonstrates that fact. >> reporter: still, former president trump campaigning in wisconsin argues on the administration's watch the world is spiraling out of control. >> they are very close to global catastrophe.

we have a nonexistent president and a nonexistent vice president who should be in charge, but nobody knows what's going on. >> reporter: all of it a dire backdrop to tonight's one and only showdown between the two vice presidential picks, who have been fierce critics from afar for months. >> this is not about power. it's about governing. >> well, kamala, day one was 1400 days ago. what the hell have you been doing? >> reporter: tonight, they'll meet in person for the first time. >> and peter, you're there in the spin room. we're going to be seeing new rules at this debate. tell us about it. >> yeah, lester, that's right. a couple of key differences tonight compared to the last presidential debate. there will be no live fact-checking by the moderators, and both candidates' microphones will stay on when it's the other person's turn to speak which is likely to make for fiery exchanges this evening. lester? >> okay, peter, thanks. you can watch full coverage of the vice presidential coverage starting at 8:00 on nbc news and nbc news now.

we'll turn to the flooding disaster in the houston south now, with many in hard-hit north carolina now facing a desperate challenge, finding essentials like food and water, while some still wait for word on loved ones. sam brock is there. >> reporter: tonight, the crises in western north carolina are too many to count. access to a basic life force, water, at the top of the list. behind you right now is this effort to disseminate water. how critical is it for families like yours? >> it's very critical. >> we got a baby. he eats oatmeal. he's a priority for us. >> reporter: is it a lifeline right now? >> absolutely. >> absolutely. >> reporter: parents and loved ones coming to one of four community sites where supplies are slowly trickling in and neighbors stepping up. but complications abound. all three water treatment plants in asheville are compromised with the pipes to distribute the water washed away. >> you don't realize how thirsty you are. at home, you put your

faucet on and drink out of the sink, flush the toilet. brush your teeth, you have to spit in the sink. you to use your good water to rinse your sink out. >> reporter: with other locals largely cut off from aid, frustration with fema reaching a boiling point of its own. >> there is no water. there is no internet. there is no food. >> reporter: the agency says it's already delivered a million liters of water and 600,000 meals to north carolinians and promise morse is on the way. tonight the treacherous wait continues, though, for those missing. >> many people were waiting for days, trying to get in touch with loved ones. and thankfully many of them have. >> reporter: on the ground, shelters are teaming. >> we do not have the resources available. >> reporter: with 75-year-old cynthia dunn, who survived the rushing waters clinging to a mattress, one of the lucky ones with temporary shelter. >> everything is gone. my identity is gone, and i hate to say my hearing aids. i lost my teeth. >> reporter: other displaced residents wait in long lines at gas stations and grocery stores for necessities.

katrice picking up some essentials and tells us how she is charging her father's oxygen machine in the car. he is on dialysis. >> we've been very blessed and very fortunate. it was me passing by and seeing that his dialysis clinic was open. but everybody doesn't have the act to ride by. >> and sam, your heart just goes out for these folks. we have talked about all this about communities that you can't get to because they're remote. but i understand you're getting into some of them now? >> yeah, look, lester, we're finally in the outer reaches of bunkum county after the interstate opened up and helps to explain how the death toll here in the county went from 40 to 57. look at this car over my shoulder flipped up. that is not from a tornado, but rushing water. expect more scenes like these in the days to come. >> yeah, it's tough. sam, thanks. in neighboring tennessee, the tragedy is still unfolding for families of people missing. survivors saying the warnings about the flooding came too late.

kathy park has their stories. >> reporter: tonight, a desperate plea from families in erwin, tennessee as they enter a fifth day with no updates on their loved ones. several still missing are latino and worked at impact plastics. including fernando luis's mother lydia. "there is hope, but a lot of time has passed." today families growing more frustrated with the recovery efforts and the disconnect from day one of this disaster. a county spokesperson admitting to the shortcomings in their emergency response. >> i was not aware that there was a latin american community here. that was a failure on our part for which i apologize. >> reporter: the governor surveying the devastation today and responding to the heartache. did the state do enough to prepare the residents for catastrophe like this? >> it's hard to imagine preparation for something that's never happened. >> reporter: the nightmare isn't over for robert jarvis, who captured the water rising all around him as he tried to escape the plastic factory with his coworkers. >> it was too late when we got our

warnings. >> reporter: the company insists they told employees to leave. witnessing the panic, eric castellon and ronald tell jump into action, saving robert and others. >> if me and eric and a couple of my other associates didn't do what we did, they all would have been dead. >> reporter: and the disaster stretches all across east tennessee, where entire roads and bridges have washed away, cutting off residents. the only way to reach them is by foot. at the height of the storm, more than 1.2 million gallons of water per second flowed over the river. that's more than a daily peak flow at niagara falls. officials say right now the priority right now is to recover bodies before they can rebuild. lester? >> all right, kathy, thank you. coming up, as tens of thousands of dockworkers go on strike, we'll explain how soon you'll start seeing the impact. plus, how long could it last. by the unpredictability of generalized myasthenia gravis and who are anti-achr antibody positive, season to season,

ultomiris is continuous symptom control, with improvement in activities of daily living. it is reduced muscle weakness. and ultomiris is the only long-acting gmg treatment with the freedom of just 6 to 7 infusions per year, for a predictable routine i can count on. ultomiris can lower your immune system's ability to fight infections, increasing your chance of serious meningococcal infections, which may become life-threatening or fatal, and other types of infections. complete or update your meningococcal vaccines at least 2 weeks before starting ultomiris. if ultomiris is urgent, you should also receive antibiotics with your vaccines. before starting ultomiris, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions and medications. ultomiris can cause reactions such as back pain, tiredness, dizziness, limb discomfort, or bad taste. ultomiris is moving forward with continuous symptom control. ask your neurologist about starting ultomiris. all right. we're back now with a

strike that has brought 14 u.s. ports responsible for almost half of u.s. imports to a stand still. tens of thousands of dockworkers demanding higher pay and more job security. christine romans now on the impact for consumers. >> reporter: cranes idle in brooklyn, baltimore and houston. dockworkers striking for the first time in almost 50 years. the dockworkers union rejecting a 50% pay increase over six years, an offer the maritime alliance says exceeds every other settlement, adding this is a completely avoidable strike. the dockworkers also demanding restrictions on automation for the cranes, gates and trucks at the port, to make sure technology doesn't replace their jobs. >> nothing is going to move without us. and we're going to keep this thing going every day. >> reporter: the longer the strike goes on, the more you'll feel it. retailers and importers are scrambling to move their products, already raising freight costs. eventually that could raise prices for consumers. and every day of uncertainty a concern

for margaret barrow. her healthy snack company it's nola relies on ingredients that come through these ports. >> it's kind of scary. in two months if i can't get all the ingredients i need for my product, i'm going have to just let my customers know that i have to put a pause on producing my product. >> reporter: these ports behind me are critical for you being able to keep your business running? >> absolutely. a lot of business can go under because of this. >> reporter: manufacturers and retailers want the white house to step in and break the strike. the white house said the impact on consumers would be, quote, limited for food, fuel, and medicine, but said collective bargaining was the best way to reach a deal. >> and christine, i know a lot of people are crunching these numbers right now. how damaging could a long strike be to the u.s. economy? >> so supply chains, lester, can bounce back pretty quickly after a couple of days. but keep in mind every day you have a shutdown, it could take five days to clear the backlog. the longer this goes on, the worse it is going to be.

>> we're going to soon realize all those things come by ship. all right, thanks. up next, the fbi report on violent crime, and how one major american city turned the tide. stay with us. breztri gave me... better breathing, symptom improvement, and reduced flare-ups. breztri won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. it is not for asthma. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. don't take breztri more than prescribed. breztri may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain... mouth or tongue swelling, problems urinating,... vision changes, or eye pain occur. ask your doctor about breztri. here's to getting better with age. here's to beating these two every thursday. help fuel today with boost high protein, complete nutrition you need, and the flavor you love. so, here's to now... now available: boost max! (sigh) if you struggle with cpap... you should check out inspire. no mask.

no hose. just sleep. inspire. learn more and view important safety information at inspiresleep.com strong enamel is your best defense against acid erosion and cavities. that's why i recommend pronamel active shield because it will strengthen your enamel and create that shield around it. i'm excited for this product. i think patients are really going to like it. try pronamel mouthwash. (♪♪) (♪♪) (♪♪) start your day with nature made. and try new zero sugar gummies. feeling ughh from a backed up gut? ughh. miralax works naturally with the water in your body to help you go.

free your gut and your mood will follow. for 8 grams of fiber, try mirafiber gummies. oh-ho-ho, look at that jet stream. [ whistles ] for 8 grams of fiber, weather. oh, boy. yep, they're calling it an atmospheric river. it is coming down. [ cellphone buzzes, chimes ] oh, flood warning in louisiana. are they obsessed? oh, yeah. the stuff they do on the green screen, unbelievable. they said 10% chance of rain. -seems more like 40% to me. -no. it has nothing to do with the dew point. progressive can't save you from becoming your parents, but we can save you money when you bundle home and auto with us. what are those, cumulus clouds?

it is becoming a big issue in the 2024 race, violent crime. but as fbi data shows, violent crime continue to drop across the u.s. in the first part of the year. our ken dilanian takes us to detroit where the police chief says the reality doesn't match the rhetoric. >> reporter: tonight, we're with officers

patrolling downtown detroit, who tell us this city, long one of america's most dangerous, is safer. is that the reality that you see? >> we obviously get a bad rap. >> reporter: but that's not what you'll hear from former president trump when he talks about crime across america. >> crime here is up and through the roof. >> reporter: including in michigan. >> but you can't walk across the street to get a loaf of bread you. you get shot. >> that's simply not true. >> reporter: we spoke to detroit police chief james white. >> i invite him to walk the streets of detroit, and i'd be more than happy to do that with him and show him how detroit is performing. >> reporter: in detroit, crime has fallen dramatically after it exploded during the pandemic. >> we look at this to ensure that our strategies are working. we look at our criminal homicides, down 21%. >> reporter: white says a thousand plus cameras at gas stations monitored by officers helps. and it's not just detroit. across the country, new fbi data shows crime has fallen steeply, back to where it was five years ago. violent crime dropped

3% in 2023 from the year before. continuing a three-year trend. and murder fell by 11.6%, the largest single year decline on record. though another key measure, the justice department's annual survey asking 200,000 americans if they'd been crime victims found violent crime was about the same in 2023 as the year before. but that survey does not factor in the plummeting murder rate. >> i got a call around 1:03 in the morning from my son chandler, who was yelling "jordan was shot." >> reporter: still, for too many families the horrors of gun violence are a tragic reality. venecca and andre thornhill's son jordan graduated college this spring. he was the innocent victim of random gunfire leaving a detroit block party. >> i lost my son. why? why did it happen? why did it happen? it should have never happened.

>> reporter: to victims of crime, statistics are meaningless. how does it make you feel when you hear people say, well, crime is down? >> if you would have asked me prior to this, i probably would have been like okay, i can probably see it. but seeing it hit home, i don't know. i can't say it is. >> what happened to jordan thornhill is tragic. >> reporter: chief white telling us the crime drop is still nothing to celebrate. >> we're not going to tear a rotator cuff patting ourselves on the back. we've got a lot of crime in our city, a lot of violent crime. >> reporter: those crimes coming at a heartbreaking cost, though the fbi notes there were 2500 fewer murders in america last year. lester? >> ken dilanian, thank you. up next, stories of survival, heroism and hope from the flood zone. some good news is next. g depression is a journey. i'd made some progress on my antidepressant. but i was still masking my symptoms. so i talked to my doctor. she told me i could build on my wins, without changing my antidepressant.

rexulti, when added to an antidepressant, significantly reduced depression symptoms more than an antidepressant alone. and less depression? that's a win. elderly people with dementia-related psychosis have increased risk of death or stroke. antidepressants may increase suicidal thoughts and actions and worsen depression in children and young adults. call your healthcare provider right away to report new or sudden changes in mood, behavior, thoughts, or feelings, or if you develop suicidal thoughts or actions. report fever, stiff muscles, and confusion, which can be life-threatening; or uncontrolled muscle movements, which may be permanent. high blood sugar can lead to coma or death; weight gain, increased cholesterol, unusual urges, dizziness on standing, falls, seizures, trouble swallowing, or sleepiness may occur. keep moving forward. ask your doctor about rexulti. president trump, you have long vowed to repeal and replace the affordable care act. if we come up with something, we're going to do it and we're going to replace it. you still do not have a plan? i have concepts of a plan. there are concepts and options we have to do that.

you have no plan. when donald trump was president, he tried to get rid of the affordable care act. and what the affordable care act has done is eliminate the ability of insurance companies to deny people with pre-existing conditions. you remember what that was like? we over the last four years have strengthened the affordable care act. and now we have capped the cost of insulin at $35 a month. we have capped the cost of prescription medication for seniors at two thousand dollars a year. and when i am president, we will do that for all people, understanding that access to health care should be a right and not just a privilege of those who can afford it. i'm kamala harris and i approve this message. (♪♪) after careful review of medical guidance and research on pain relief, my recommendation is simple: every home should have salonpas. powerful yet non-addictive. targeted and long-lasting. i recommend salonpas. it's good medicine.

♪ hisamitsu ♪ ♪ limu emu & doug ♪ woah, limu! we're in a parade. everyone customize and save hundreds on car insurance with liberty mutual. customize and sa— (balloon doug pops & deflates) and then i wake up. and you have this dream every night? yeah, every night! hmm... i see. (limu squawks) only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ okay everyone, our mission is to provide complete, balanced nutrition for strength and energy. yay - woo hoo! ensure, with 27 vitamins and minerals, nutrients for immune health. and ensure complete with 30 grams of protein. (♪♪) dry... tired... itchy, burning... my dry eye symptoms got worse over time. my eye doctor explained the root was inflammation. xiidra was made for that, so relief is lasting. xiidra treats the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. don't use if allergic to xiidra

and seek medical help if needed. common side effects include eye irritation, discomfort, blurred vision, and unusual taste sensation. don't touch container tip to your eye or any surface. before using xiidra, remove contact lenses and wait fifteen minutes before re-inserting. dry eye over and over? it's time for xiidra. a beloved tv sitcom dad has passed away. john amos, best known as the family patriarch on "good times" died from natural causes back in august, his family revealed today. amos was also nominated for an emmy for the 1977 miniseries "roots" and starred in movies like "coming to america," "die-hard 2" and "uncut gems." he was 84.

finally, as the southeast reels in the aftermath of helene, there is good news tonight about the heros who have gone above and beyond. here is priscilla thompson. >> reporter: angel mitchell was at her mother's bedside at this hospital in erwin, tennessee, when flooding began friday. >> water was just rushing in and power out. >> reporter: as the water rose, she says her 83-year-old mother was placed in a boat, tethered to the hospital. what was going through your head? >> just that my mom is going the die. my mom is going to get swept away. >> reporter: more than 60 patients were evacuated by helicopter, the hospital says. all making it out alive. >> the nurses, the staff there, they -- they made sure we all got out. >> reporter: amid so much desperation, stories of survival, heroism, and hope. in ash county, north carolina, onlookers watched in horror as

this home was swept away with a woman still inside. armed with a life jacket and a rope, eddie hunnell jumped in. >> i just couldn't watch her die. >> reporter: pilots from around the country coming together to bring in critical supplies and get people out. >> we've had people from texas to maine, all the way across the east coast just show up. >> reporter: ordinary people joining forces to support one another during unimaginable times. while angel feels some local leaders fell short, she says heroes saved her and her mom. >> i just want to thank them. if it wasn't for them, we would not have made it. >> reporter: priscilla thompson, nbc news, johnson city, tennessee. and that's "nightly news" for this tuesday. thank you for watching. i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. good night.

world and the bay area among them. tensions rising quickly in the middle east as iran fires missiles at israel. how president biden is responding, as well